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  • In sickness and in health? Why women are more often broken up with after a serious diagnosis
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In sickness and in health? Why women are more often broken up with after a serious diagnosis

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avatar Somya.P

Somya.P

Community manager
24/03/2025 at 20:00

Good advisor

avatar Somya.P

Somya.P

Community manager

Last activity on 22/05/2025 at 16:46

Joined in 2023


624 comments posted | 4 in the Women's Health group

48 of their responses were helpful to members


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Hello ladies, how are you doing?

Today, I wanted to bring up a topic that many don’t talk about openly but it has a huge emotional impact: the link between serious illness and relationship breakdown, especially for women.

According to a study, women are six times more likely to face separation or divorce after being diagnosed with a serious illness like cancer or multiple sclerosis compared to men with similar conditions. 💔 In other words, when the wife is the patient, the relationship is far more likely to end.

It’s heartbreaking, but sadly not surprising to many. The study suggests that women often take on caregiving roles more naturally, while men may struggle to adapt when their partner becomes ill. It also found that older women and shorter marriages were more at risk for this kind of abandonment.

For those of us navigating life with a chronic illness, this hits close to home. We talk about pain, medication, fatigue, but what about the loneliness that comes when someone we love pulls away right when we need them most?

Have you experienced or feared something like this?

Do you think gender roles still shape how partners handle illness?

And most importantly, how do we rebuild trust and support when life changes so drastically?

@lounic3 @shellmo4 @fkbakhsh @teebird @diane2409 @jackie b @Yank34 @Georgie @Christina1958 @Gillian23 @Nicolamp @GalDriver @bambi13 @denzelise @MargiQ @Juliette @Mae bugs @jaynedebra @JanetteR @ChristineStewart15 @Eduardosgirl @Spooooky @Charlie74 @Gemzied @chelsea8 @Sa11aku @karen1970 @Tatty73 @giggi61 @Benny3840 @Charlee73 @harpingmad @Beaglebum @Bailey123 @crest1968 @Rachels @Smudge12 @MargaretP @FredaBurke @Triciab @Irenec @emc1cle @byrneann22 @Tinkerbelle1 @Cirvannah @Paula11 @aggy2017 @Devondeb1969 @Sheridan @Bagpuss66 @Daisybuster @Barbie69 @padrepiopal @mmullane @Amethyst67 @Bubbles01 @Itzberzerk @Julesmcguire @Zoey51 @Maryanna @BadgerCowell @SharonJ @Chalmm @M.swarrior @hayles @Hel_bells @PatriciaGriffin @Luckie1 @Susiek @Margaretshadow @Dizzle @Nichola45 @Maria's11 @Survival @Snow1? @HannahAitken @Charlie219 @Greeny @Anita7263 @Sonialb @Onacrumble @dreamgirl @Iamsue @Claiererbear @Meggymoo123 @Madmax1 @Jillytots @cwright17 @Nicolamennell @KatieD @Leicester-City-Fan @LesleyMiddleton @Widgey64 @poppygirl @NaturalApproach @LesleyAnneDarby @Melo28 @Tessi1 @Elk217015 @lala170570

We’d love to hear your experience or perspective on this.

Take care,

Somya from the Carenity team 🌼

Source: Glantz, M. J., Chamberlain, M. C., Liu, Q., Hsieh, C. C., Edwards, K. R., Van Horn, A., & Recht, L. (2009). Gender disparity in the rate of partner abandonment in patients with serious medical illness. Cancer, 115(22), 5237–5242.

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avatar cwright17

cwright17

24/03/2025 at 20:21

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avatar cwright17

cwright17

Last activity on 25/04/2025 at 20:43

Joined in 2021


48 comments posted | 1 in the Women's Health group

11 of their responses were helpful to members


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I'm sorry to rub this in, but I openly told my now-husband what being in a relationship with me would entail for him.

I was just starting my MS journey, and I told him after we had a few dates. I wouldn't have minded if he'd broken up with me at that point. He still stayed. He was even there when I dropped out of university,. He was even there when I quit one job, moved in with him and his parents while we bought our own home, was there when I quit my job after 1st because my legs couldn't work properly anymore. He was there when I had the first of my generalised seizures, and the status epilipticus ones after.

It took us 8 years before we got married. We're now coming up to year 10 of being in a relationship.

I think that being open and honest with someone from the start of the relationship would help you "shift the wheat from the chaff". My mum applied that after she broke up with my brother's father, and soon entered a relationship with the man I consider my dad. She's in a relationship now for 9 years.

See the signature

Charlotte Hargreaves-Wright (he's also double barrelled his name so he can be "Wright" half the time)


In sickness and in health? Why women are more often broken up with after a serious diagnosis https://www.carenity.co.uk/forum/other-discussions/womens-health/in-sickness-and-in-health-why-women-are-more-often-broken-up-with-after-a-serious-diagnosis-5654 2025-03-24 20:21:04

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